Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Monday, October 10, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Today's News Clips, June 16
News Clips from America Votes
Thursday, June 16, 2011
News Clips
COLORADO: Michael Hancock's team picks 80 to head advisory committees
The Denver Post
Mayor-elect Michael Hancock's transition committee Wednesday announced the names of more than 80 people who will head 22 committees that recommend appointments and policies for his administration.
Panels dealing with safety and the police chief will be among the most closely scrutinized following a campaign in which much attention was paid to management and performance of Denver police.
Doug Friednash, a partner at Greenberg Traurig, former state Rep. Rosemary Marshall and former Public Safety Manager Butch Montoya will head up the committee tasked with identifying candidates for police chief.
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/
FLORDIA: Troubled Tampa Bay assisted living facility chain to lose state Medicaid funding
Carol Marbin Miller, Rob Barry and Michael Sallah for the Miami Herald
Florida health administrators are slashing hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars to a troubled Tampa Bay assisted living facility chain in a move that could jeopardize the homes' ability to keep their doors open.
The action by the Agency for Health Care Administration leaders to stop Medicaid dollars to the homes comes two weeks after a caregiver at one of the facilities was arrested for rape, and one month after the Miami Herald profiled the homes in a series, "Neglected to Death," which showed the state had allowed scores of problem homes to remain open — sometimes for years — despite a litany of abuses.
In a letter dated June 13, the state agency informed the owners of the Mapleway Communities chain that, starting in 30 days, they will no longer be able to bill for services under Medicaid, the state and federal insurance program for needy and disabled people. Medicaid pays for a variety of services for people with developmental disabilities at the homes.
MICHIGAN: 'Private bills' introduced by Mich. members of Congress buy time for immigrants
Marisa Schultz for the Detroit News
Washington In his first piece of legislation since taking the chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Fred Upton introduced a bill not to repeal health care reform but rather to grant a visa to Ibrahim Parlak, a southwest Michigan restaurant owner facing deportation to his native Turkey.
It's a little known ritual by some members of Congress to sponsor private bills on behalf of individuals in their districts to help them stay in the country when traditional immigration channels have failed. Already, in the 112th Congress, 64 private bills have been introduced, 11 of which are to grant permanent residency to people living in Michigan — the most of any state except California.
Traditionally, these bills languish in Congress without passage, but their introduction alone offers relief to beneficiaries like Parlak, a Kurd who was granted asylum by the United States 20 years ago but has failed to gain citizenship. As long as legislation is pending, the bills' namesakes are safe from deportation. Rather than risking a "no" vote in Congress that would end the hope for residency, there's an advantage to inaction.
MICHIGAN: Snyder declines to sign GOP governors' letter on Medicaid plan
Paul Egan for the Detroit News
Lansing— Gov. Rick Snyder said Wednesday he is too focused on Michigan issues to join the nation's other Republican governors in endorsing a seven-point plan to improve Medicaid.
The Republican Governors Association announced on its website this week that 29 GOP governors — all but Snyder — signed the letter, which calls for more state autonomy in determining Medicaid eligibility and cost-sharing.
"Given … all the activities we have going on, I'm focused on Michigan," Snyder said during a news conference on education reform. "My role is not to be a large advocate on a national scale. I was hired to be governor of Michigan."
MINNESOTA: Dayton outlines 'painful' shutdown
Rachel Stassen-Berger for the Star Tribune
Gov. Mark Dayton on Wednesday proposed a broad government shutdown that would touch every corner of the state and reach deep into Minnesotans' homes.
The governor's proposal -- which must still be ruled on by a judge -- would maintain critical services but close all state parks, the Minnesota Zoo, the state lottery and most state road projects by July 1, when the current state budget runs out. K-12 schools, local governments and health providers would no longer receive state payments.
Despite what he said would be the vast and enormous impact of such a shutdown, Dayton said Wednesday that a short government closure "still pales in comparison" to the impact of a Republican "all cuts" budget.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/
NEVADA: Governor signs 4 ‘groundbreaking’ education bills
Cy Ryan for the Las Vegas Sun
CARSON CITY – Four education bills making it easier to reward high-performing teachers and get rid of ineffective teachers have been signed into law by Gov. Brian Sandoval.
The bills overhaul the makeup of the state Board of Education, giving the governor more authority and creating a new board to oversee charter schools.
Sandoval called these “groundbreaking education reform bills.”
Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Lynch vetoes bill to notify parents about abortion
Kevin Landrigan for the Nashua Telegraph
CONCORD – Calling it too “unclear and too narrow,” Gov. John Lynch vetoed legislation requiring a parent be notified before a minor girl has an abortion.
The four-term, Democratic chief executive said he supports parents being involved in these difficult decisions and would sign such a law if the Legislature made the changes he wants to it.
Lynch said his most serious objection was that it lacked an exemption for victims of rape or incest, subjecting the girl to have to notify a parent who could be the abuser.
NEW MEXICO: Council mulls options for district shifts
Julie Ann Grimm for the New Mexican
Santa Fe City Council districts would have a more equal distribution of population under new boundaries being considered by city officials. Just how the districts might be reshaped remains uncertain, but a decision is due this summer.
Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc., on Wednesday walked city councilors through four options.
The Albuquerque firm, which has completed hundreds of redistricting plans on every electoral level from Congress to public schools, crafted the maps so each of Santa Fe's four districts would contain about 16,937 residents.
Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.
OHIO: Ohio budget conference committee gets good news on state revenues, bad news on Medicaid costs
Aaron Marshall for the Plain Dealer
COLUMBUS, Ohio — There was good news in state budget director Tim Keen's assessment of Ohio's future revenue numbers Wednesday, but it didn't exactly set off any cartwheeling in the halls of the Statehouse.
While Keen predicted that Ohio would have about $425 million more flowing into state coffers in 2012 and 2013 than Gov. John Kasich's budget estimated, he said that Medicaid caseload projections used by Senate lawmakers were too low and canceled out any extra money.
"The General Assembly has pre-spent most of the revenue I have forecast today," Keen said. More specifically, Keen said lawmakers will have only about $18 million extra to spend in the $55.7 billion general revenue fund if they use his estimates.
Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/open/
PENNSYLVANIA: Women disapprove of Corbett acts more than men
Laura Olson for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Gov. Tom Corbett has lost support of women in Pennsylvania.
New poll numbers from Quinnipiac University show disapproval from female voters are keeping the governor's approval rating low.
Mr. Corbett drew an overall approval rating of 39 percent, with his highest rating in the state's southwest at 46 percent. That figure has remained at 39 percent since the polling institute's first survey of his performance in February, although his disapproval numbers have since grown.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/
WISCONSIN: Budget passes Assembly with provisions on choice schools, broadband funds
Jason Stein, Patrick Marley and Bill Glauber for the Journal Sentinel
Madison - A private school voucher program won't expand to Green Bay and the state will not turn down nearly $40 million in federal money for expanding broadband access in rural areas, under the budget bill passed by the state Assembly early Thursday morning.
The bill passed 60-38 just after 3 a.m. on an essentially party-line vote, with the body's lone independent, Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc, joining all Republicans in favor.
Under a GOP amendment to the bill, the budget also would preserve federal money for public transit, retain access to state officials' ethics statements and scale back a proposal to force local governments to use private contractors on road projects. The wide-ranging amendment also pulled several provisions into the state budget for the first time, including one to delay a provision prohibiting certain race-based mascots such as "Indians" in public schools.
Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/
MONTANA: Montana Supreme Court denies climate petition
The Associated Press
The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a petition filed by attorneys seeking state regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Siding with Attorney General Steve Bullock, justices wrote in their order that the case raised too many questions about Montana's contribution to a global problem.
"The court is ill-equipped to resolve the factual assertions presented by the petitioners," justices wrote.
IDAHO: Idaho lawmakers detail their financial interests
Erika Bolstad for the Idaho Statesman
WASHINGTON – Financial disclosure forms made public Wednesday show that Idaho's congressional delegation has a wide range of investments in land, real estate and stocks.
The forms, released annually, are meant to allow the public a glimpse at the investments, personal wealth and potential conflicts of interest of those who represent them in Congress. Candidates must also file them.
Republican Rep. Raul Labrador's disclosure forms from 2010 show he earned a $65,910 salary from his law office and a $16,990 salary from the state of Idaho. He has investments in money market funds valued between $19,000 and $112,000. He earned between $15,000 and $50,000 from the dissolution of his law firm.
Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/
OREGON: Sen. Richard Devlin accused of trying to silence criticism of union drive
Jeff Mapes for the Oregonian
SALEM -- At the behest of Service Employees International Union, Oregon Senate budget chief Richard Devlin sought to stifle criticism of an organizing drive that added more than 7,700 workers to the union's membership and turned it into the largest in the state.
During a drive to organize workers who help care for developmentally disabled Oregonians, Tualatin Democrat wrote a letter to officials who help employ the workers, warning them not to say anything even "mildly" critical of unionization. He also suggested that a successful union drive would help boost legislative support for services for Oregonians with developmental disabilities. .
Several officials who received the letter said it appeared Devlin tried to tip the scales in favor of the union's expansion. Devlin said that wasn't his intent.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/
MAINE: Charter schools approved by House
Rebekah Metzler for the Portland Press-Herald
AUGUSTA - The Maine House voted 89-55 on Wednesday night, after hours of debate, to allow the establishment of public charter schools. Maine is now among just 10 states that do not permit charter schools.
Public charter schools are voluntary, are required to follow state and federal academic requirements and cannot teach religious practices or discriminate against students or teachers.
Supporters say they allow for more creative approaches that can benefit students who struggle in traditional schools. Opponents say they are concerned that the quality of traditional public schools could decline as per-pupil tax money follows students who attend charter schools.
Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/
Today's News Clips, June 15
News Clips from America Votes
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
News Clips
COLORADO: Nothing incriminating found in Hancock cell records
Chuck Plunkett for the Denver Post
Phone numbers for the former Denver Players and Denver Sugar prostitution businesses and its employees aren't found in any of the hundreds of pages of personal cellphone records released Tuesday by Mayor-elect Michael Hancock.
The two main landline numbers published by the former escort services on their websites and in advertising were not listed as either incoming or outgoing calls recorded in the call inventories Hancock provided for review by The Denver Post and 9News. The inventories provided by Hancock encompassed periods when records kept by a former owner of the prostitution service allege that Hancock was a customer.
The pair of numbers tested were cited by federal investigators in January 2008 as the central numbers.
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/
FLORIDA: After years of lax regulation, state finally cracks down on ALFs
Mary Ellen Klas for the St. Petersburg Times
TALLAHASSEE — After years of failing to crack down on abuse and neglect in homes for the elderly and disabled, the state agency that regulates assisted living facilities quietly imposed sanctions and $125,000 in fines on 46 of the worst abusers in May in response to an investigation by The Miami Herald.
Gov. Rick Scott announced Tuesday that the Agency for Health Care Administration took administrative action against the assisted living facilities as part of his commitment to "making sure the people who rely on these facilities are protected."
The fines were first imposed on May 4, the final day of The Herald's three-part series "Neglected to Death,'' which detailed how sweeping failures in state oversight of Florida's ALFs had left thousands of elderly and mentally ill residents vulnerable to dangerous and decrepit conditions.
MICHIGAN: Jeb Bush to testify in Lansing on education changes today
Associated Press
Lansing— Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is coming to Michigan to meet with Republican leaders and testify about how he thinks states should change how they approach education.
Bush founded the Foundation for Excellence in Education after leaving office in 2008 with the goal of igniting "a movement of reform" in every state to transform education.
Bush will testify before the Senate-House Education Committee this morning. He'll also join Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, state superintendent Mike Flanagan and the House and Senate GOP leaders for a news conference to discuss education improvements.
MINNESOTA: Senate vote keeps ethanol tax credit alive
Jim Spencer for the Star Tribune
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday chose not to kill a multibillion-dollar annual tax credit that now provides major support for ethanol producers and corn farmers in Minnesota and other states.
The measure failed, in part, because of an uprising among senators from Midwestern states that have invested heavily in ethanol. In Minnesota, for example, the industry adds $3 billion to the state economy, supports 8,000 jobs and uses a third of the state's corn crop to produce 1.1 billion gallons of biofuel each year, according to the state Agriculture Department.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar helped lead the fight against an amendment that would have immediately eliminated a 45-cent-per-gallon tax credit for companies that blend ethanol with gasoline. The proposal also would have removed a tariff on imports of foreign ethanol.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/
MINNESOTA: Shutdown threatens aid to poor, disabled
Jeremy Olson for the Star Tribune
More than half a million Minnesotans could lose government-funded medical care, child care and food support as of July 1 if the impending state shutdown occurs.
The Department of Human Services started sending notices Tuesday to benefit recipients -- mostly poor and disabled Minnesotans -- about the potential loss of support. While many steps could prevent the wholesale suspension of state benefits -- from a budget agreement, to court intervention, to "lights on" legislation while talks continue -- a human services official said people deserve fair warning.
"By law, we are required to give clients a certain amount of notice" when the status of their benefits changes, said Deputy Human Services Commissioner Anne Barry. "We just hit that point in the monthly calendar when, if we didn't get these notices out on this cycle, we wouldn't have gotten them out before their status changed."
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/
NEVADA: Measure that blocks government lawyers from unionizing fuels debate
Joe Schoenmann for the Las Vegas Sun
An attempt by state lawmakers to prohibit doctors, lawyers and supervisors whose salaries are paid by taxpayers to unionize has laid the groundwork for a fight over exactly who is covered by the law, one that might not be resolved until the next legislative session.
The governor has yet to sign Senate Bill 98, which implements the restriction on doctors, lawyers and supervisors. But there’s a question about whether it only applies to public-employee attorneys who work on civil, and not criminal, matters.
Civil attorneys defend governmental bodies against lawsuits and monitor the long hours of governmental meetings, where they’re called upon to interpret byzantine code and laws for citizens, staff and elected officials. Criminal attorneys are tasked with bringing cases against alleged burglars, murderers and others.
Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Panel OKs public works budget
Kevin Landrigan for the Nashua Telegraph
CONCORD – House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on a two-year public works budget.
The final deal (HB 25) spends slightly less than $90 million in state-backed bonds that is within the debt threshold state Treasurer Katherine Provencher proposed for lawmakers to follow.
State Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, served as one of the House leaders trying to work out a compromise.
Read more: http://www.nashuatelegraph.
NEW MEXICO: Hearing on Medicaid hints at conflict to come
Trip Jennings for the New Mexican
Wearing a bright-red top and a blue bandana on her head, Sherri Gonzales looked the picture of health Tuesday. The 31-year-old Albuquerque woman quickly disabused New Mexico state lawmakers.
"I am the face of Medicaid," Gonzales said at the end of a three-hour, at times tense legislative hearing in which state lawmakers grilled Gov. Susana Martinez's Human Services Secretary, Sidonie Squier, on the state's efforts to redesign Medicaid, a government program that provides health insurance for one in four New Mexicans.
Gonzales spoke of caring for her cancer-ridden grandmother until she passed away and then enduring her own cancer diagnosis. "Without that coverage (Medicaid), I would not be here. It's been hell. It's good to see you guys care," Gonzales said.
Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.
OHIO: State Rep. Ron Amstutz says budget will rely on substantially less one-time money: PolitiFact Ohio
Mark Naymik for the Plain Dealer
State Rep. Ron Amstutz, a Republican from Wooster, recently defended Gov. John Kasich’s two-year budget blueprint, which the Republican-controlled House and Senate have left largely intact.
In a letter published May 28 in the Columbus Dispatch, Amstutz said that budget "invests in Ohio’s future and a stable fiscal path toward a stronger Ohio."
Chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee, Amstutz was responding to criticism of the $55.6 billion budget that House Minority Leader Armond Budish made in his own letter to the Dispatch.
Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/open/
PENNSYLVANIA: Poll shows Santorum trails Romney, Obama in Pa.
Staff for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who recently announced his bid for the White House in 2012, is not faring well among his fellow Pennsylvania Republicans or among voters in general, according to a poll released this morning.
The Quinnipiac University poll shows Mr. Santorum trails former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney among Republicans in Pennsylvania, and trails President Barack Obama, 49-38 percent in an early look at the next presidential election.
The poll shows Mr. Romney as the leader among Republicans with 21 percent, followed by Mr. Santorum with 16 percent. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has 11 percent, but no other candidate rates higher than 8 percent.
Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/
WISCONSIN: Supreme Court reinstates collective bargaining law
Patrick Marley and Don Walker for the Journal Sentinel
Madison - Acting with unusual speed, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of Gov. Scott Walker's controversial plan to end most collective bargaining for tens of thousands of public workers.
The court found that a committee of lawmakers was not subject to the state's open meetings law, and so did not violate that law when it hastily approved the collective bargaining measure in March and made it possible for the Senate to take it up. In doing so, the Supreme Court overruled a Dane County judge who had halted the legislation, ending one challenge to the law even as new challenges are likely to emerge.
The changes on collective bargaining will take effect once Secretary of State Doug La Follette arranges for official publication of the stalled bill, and the high court said there was now nothing to preclude him from doing that. La Follette did not return a call Tuesday to say when the law would be published.
Read More: http://www.jsonline.com/news/
WISCONSIN: Assembly delays budget debate; GOP can't work out changes in private
Jason Stein and Patrick Marley for the Journal Sentinel
Madison - Amid protests and high security, GOP lawmakers worked behind closed doors Tuesday on a state budget deal, but failed to get one in time to start debate on the bill late in the night.
Republican leaders in the Assembly said they would need another day to work on changes such as preserving federal money for transit and broadband access in rural areas. They vowed to come back Wednesday morning to take up Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill for what is expected to be a marathon debate.
"It's a ton of stuff," Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) said of the changes still being considered.
Read More: http://www.jsonline.com/news/
MONTANA: Legislature responds to unions' complaint
Charles Johnson for the Billings Gazette
HELENA — An unfair-labor-practice complaint filed against the 2011 Legislature for rejecting negotiated pay raises for state employees is without merit and should be dismissed, a legislative attorney said Wednesday.
It was Gov. Brian Schweitzer and three public employee unions, not the Legislature, that engaged in collective bargaining to agree on a pay plan, Daniel Whyte, a legislative attorney, wrote the state Board of Personnel Appeals.
If the Legislature has a duty to bargain, it did so fully considering and debating House Bill 13, the measure to appropriate money for the pay plan, during the session, Whyte said. The House killed the bill, and it never reached the Senate.
OREGON: Oregon Senate votes to expand health coverage for low-income women with breast, cervical cancer
Janie Har for the Oregonian
SALEM — Even with a lean state budget, the Oregon Senate unanimously agreed today to expand the number of low-income women eligible for breast cancer or cervical cancer treatment.
Senate Bill 433 now moves to the House. It is estimated to cost $819,000 in general funds, or $3.7 million total funds, in 2011-13; and $3 million in general funds, or $13.9 million total funds in 2013-15.
The legislation should cover treatment costs for an additional 144 low-income women currently ineligible for help, said Senate Majority Leader Diane Rosenbaum, D-Portland. She said that poor women without insurance are 41 percent more likely to receive a late-stage diagnosis, and three times more likely to die.
Read More: http://www.oregonlive.com/
MAINE: Maine voters scorn big-ticket capital projects
Kelley Bouchard for the Portland Press Herald
Voters in Falmouth, Gorham and Regional School Unit 5 rejected big-ticket capital projects at the polls on Tuesday, showing concern for their pocketbooks in tight economic times.
Falmouth voters turned down a $5.65 proposal to convert two old elementary schools into a community center and a public library, leading one voter to say that town spending was going "crazy."
In Gorham, 80 percent of ballots were cast against a plan to borrow $3 million to build a synthetic-turf athletic field and make improvements to the Narragansett Elementary School and the public safety building. The field proposal drew the most concern, with one voter calling it "fluff."
Read More: http://www.pressherald.com/
MAINE: Maine moves closer to allow charter schools to operate
Mikhail Zinshteyn for the American Independent
In Maine today, the Senate advanced a preliminary bill that would push the state to allow charter schools to operate. The measure now moves to the state House.
A copy of the bill can be found here. The Sun Journal reports:
Proponents say charter schools bring flexibility and innovation to Maine education, offering students and parents the choice of a private school-like education without having to pay tuition. Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, the bill’s lead sponsor, said charters can tailor their curriculum to create specialized schools, such as an arts-based elementary school or a one that focuses on agriculture. Mason described Maine’s current public education system as “one size fits all” that doesn’t work for every student.”Sometimes we have square pegs that don’t fit in the round holes,” he said.
Opponents have countered that charters aren’t the panacea to education problems. They said charters, which are publicly funded, take students and resources from traditional public schools that are already underfunded. If successful, critics say, charters can destroy the public schools in their communities. Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, said charters in other states like Massachusetts were “hoovering up” high-performing students from public schools, leaving them with fewer students but the same costs to keep the facilities running.
Read More: http://www.
FLORIDA: Three abortion bills could become law within the next two weeks
Ashley Lopez for the Florida Independent
Gov. Rick Scott has two weeks to sign House Bills 501, 1127 and 1247 before they automatically become law:
House Bill 501 loosens up restrictions on where funds collected through the sale of Choose Life, Inc. license plates are spent. Some fear that some of the money could go to crisis pregnancy centers in Florida.
House Bill 1127 is the mandatory-ultrasound bill. The legislation will require all doctors to perform on ultrasound on women before providing any abortion service, whether it is medically necessary or not. The bill provides an opt-out provision for viewing or listening to a description of the ultrasound.
House Bill 1247 would impose more restrictions on minors seeking a judicial bypass for the mandatory parental-consent-for-abortion law. If the bill is signed, young women will only be able to appeal to courts where they reside (which some argue infringes on privacy rights). The bill also requires that young women be lectured by judges hearing the appeal, and the bill also extends waiting periods for a ruling on the appeal.
Similar legislation was once sought by the husband of the current bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. Stargel’s husband was a state representative before becoming a circuit court judge — the position he holds now. Judge Stargel is among a handful of people who decide whether or not a young woman may receive a judicial bypass. It is on the record that not only did he, prior to becoming a judge, favor legislation that makes it harder for these women to get a bypass, but that his wife incorporated many of the provisions he sought as a legislator in her own bill. She claims that the bill is an effort to lighten “burdens on the courts.”
MICHIGAN: Report: $23 million in campaign ads unreported
Eartha Jane Melzer for the Michigan Messenger
Michigan voters were subjected to almost $23 million worth of anonymously-funded television advertisements during the 2010 election, according to a new report by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.
The Michigan Secretary of State does not require disclosure of the funders of an ad unless it explicitly tells someone how to vote.
For the last ten years MCFN has gathered records of ad buys from television stations in order to track spending on campaigns.
Read More: http://michiganmessenger.com/
MINNESOTA: Backers of gay marriage ban seek to prevent disclosure about campaign spending, donors
Andy Birkey for the Minnesota Independent
The groups behind a ballot measure that would put a ban on same-sex marriage in the Minnesota Constitution urged the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on Tuesday to retain a rule that would allow corporations to make unlimited contributions in support of the ballot measure. The Minnesota Family Council (MFC) testified that it shouldn’t have to disclose any of its donors in the campaign to pass the amendment, while Minnesota for Marriage, of which MFC and the National Organization for Marriage are a part, brought in attorneys from the Citizens United Supreme Court case to argue that political spending by corporations on the amendment push should be shielded from disclosure laws.
The campaign finance board met to evaluate a 1998 advisory opinion on ballot measures that said corporations did not have to disclose spending on ballot campaigns. With the advent of new state statutes passed in the last few years, however, that opinion may need to be changed.
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Jasiri X's new video: "America's Most Livable City."
Jasiri X's new video: "America's Most Livable City."
"America's Most Livable City" highlights the city of Pittsburgh's recent honor, despite according to the U.S. Census Bureau, having the highest rate of poverty among working age Black people in the United States. This is the Pittsburgh they don't show when you're watching the Steelers, the REAL Pittsburgh.
To see more footage of these poor undeserved communities and the Black Men stepping up to provide solutions go to http://www.youtube.com/1hoodmedia to view our series, "Is Pittsburgh America's Most Livable City?"
Here are the links to Pittsburgh being named "America's Most Livable
City" and having the poorest black community according to the Census
America's Most Livable Cities
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/29/cities-livable-pittsburgh-lifestyle-real-est...
Regional Insights: High black poverty a shame
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10185/1070089-432.stm#ixzz1FvtAzTLm
LYRICS
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Please ignore the invisibles with me
See Pittsburgh rebuilt it's economy
But we still lead the Nation in black poverty
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Just ignore the invisibles with me
And state ya business, cause here the place ya living
depends on ya race and privilege
They call it Clipsburgh Pistolvania
Where block dictators will launch missiles to bang ya
Where hot metal come whistling out the chamber
To maim ya twisting you like wrestlemania
And what's crazier the bishop wont pray for ya
Ya families so poor they can't even afford a crate for ya
And in them skyscrapers Brah they can't wait for us
To move out the hood so they can take it lace it up
Transit cuts a brother can't even take the bus
This is the ugly truth no need to make it up
Then some magazine comes along and places us
As most livable in the USA what?
Say what? Guess they didn't survey us
Cause life is cut shorter than razors where they raise us
Judges are racists and quick to hang us
And police taze us until we never wake up
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Please ignore the invisibles with me
See Pittsburgh rebuilt it's economy
But we still lead the Nation in black poverty
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Just ignore the invisibles with me
And state ya business, cause here the place ya living
depends on ya race and privilege
And downtown it's a bunch of new buildings
Glass and steel cathedrals the cost a few million
They make billions to treat a dudes illness
With medicine and pharmaceuticals so who's dealing
But the schools are failing screw children
Just make sure the office has a see through ceiling
Pitt University and CMU killin
classes cost thousands I don't see you fill em
How we gonna get a job in biotechnology
if all we ever learn is survival psychology
and why we so poor if yall revived the economy
but we don't get nothing besides and apology
Tear down the projects and put up a target
then build new homes so they can stimulate the market
But move us out the neighborhood so we can never harvest
the only thing we guaranteed in Pittsburgh is charges
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Please ignore the invisibles with me
See Pittsburgh rebuilt it's economy
But we still lead the Nation in black poverty
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Just ignore the invisibles with me
And state ya business, cause here the place ya living
depends on ya race and privilege
To see more footage of these poor undeserved communities and the Black Men stepping up to provide solutions go to http://www.youtube.com/1hoodmedia to view our series, "Is Pittsburgh America's Most Livable City?"
Here are the links to Pittsburgh being named "America's Most Livable
City" and having the poorest black community according to the Census
America's Most Livable Cities
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/29/cities-livable-pittsburgh-lifestyle-real-est...
Regional Insights: High black poverty a shame
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10185/1070089-432.stm#ixzz1FvtAzTLm
LYRICS
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Please ignore the invisibles with me
See Pittsburgh rebuilt it's economy
But we still lead the Nation in black poverty
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Just ignore the invisibles with me
And state ya business, cause here the place ya living
depends on ya race and privilege
They call it Clipsburgh Pistolvania
Where block dictators will launch missiles to bang ya
Where hot metal come whistling out the chamber
To maim ya twisting you like wrestlemania
And what's crazier the bishop wont pray for ya
Ya families so poor they can't even afford a crate for ya
And in them skyscrapers Brah they can't wait for us
To move out the hood so they can take it lace it up
Transit cuts a brother can't even take the bus
This is the ugly truth no need to make it up
Then some magazine comes along and places us
As most livable in the USA what?
Say what? Guess they didn't survey us
Cause life is cut shorter than razors where they raise us
Judges are racists and quick to hang us
And police taze us until we never wake up
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Please ignore the invisibles with me
See Pittsburgh rebuilt it's economy
But we still lead the Nation in black poverty
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Just ignore the invisibles with me
And state ya business, cause here the place ya living
depends on ya race and privilege
And downtown it's a bunch of new buildings
Glass and steel cathedrals the cost a few million
They make billions to treat a dudes illness
With medicine and pharmaceuticals so who's dealing
But the schools are failing screw children
Just make sure the office has a see through ceiling
Pitt University and CMU killin
classes cost thousands I don't see you fill em
How we gonna get a job in biotechnology
if all we ever learn is survival psychology
and why we so poor if yall revived the economy
but we don't get nothing besides and apology
Tear down the projects and put up a target
then build new homes so they can stimulate the market
But move us out the neighborhood so we can never harvest
the only thing we guaranteed in Pittsburgh is charges
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Please ignore the invisibles with me
See Pittsburgh rebuilt it's economy
But we still lead the Nation in black poverty
Welcome to America's Most Livable City
Just ignore the invisibles with me
And state ya business, cause here the place ya living
depends on ya race and privilege
Monday, June 13, 2011
Complete, Unedited "Pentagon Papers" Released
(from C-SPAN) Forty years ago on this date, the New York Times published the first installments of the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret assessment of the Viet Nam war authorized by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1967. The 1971 Supreme Court decision in New York Times v. the United States validated the newspaper's decision to publish the papers.
Equality PA challenges Phillies and Pirates to create “It Gets Better” videos
Last week, EQPA challenged the Phillies and the Pirates to create “It Gets Better” videos.
They would be joining the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the Boston Red Sox who have already stepped up to the plate and agreed to make videos. When you have two such great teams in one state why shouldn’t we make the pitch, and you can help.
Take a minute today to encourage the Boys of Summer to make a video. Tell them this is important and that strong public support like this is crucial to letting LGBT teens know that it gets better.
Since the beginning of this project, tens of thousands of personal videos have been recorded offering hope to vulnerable teens and over 350,000 people have pledged their support to end hate and intolerance. We think it’s time for our baseball heros to join this effort.
Call the Philadelphia Phillies (215-463-6000) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (412-323-5000 – CHOOSE EXT. 8) and ask them to speak up for LGBT teens and make an “It Gets Better” video!
And while you’re at it, write them a message on Facebook or on Twitter, and make a request there too!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Roots Camp Pittsburgh
What is RootsCampPittsburgh?
RootsCamps are participant driven events or forums, using the "unconference" or "open space" format that is born from the desire for activists, organizers, leaders and politicians in the progressive sphere to share and learn in a productive, fast-paced, open environment.
Think of it as a cross between an election debrief and grassroots organizing skills share. The progressive community — everyone from the "netroots" to precinct captains to field organizers to national message consultants — come together to share successes, failures, impart old wisdom and new discoveries.
RootsCamp is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants. There are NO SPECTATORS. This open format never fails to yield an astounding exchange of information, spin-off projects, and cross-pollination among unexpected partners.
Find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh at http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com/
When is RootsCampPittsburgh? RootsCamp will be held at the United Steelworkers Building, 5 Gateway Center in Pittsburgh on January 24, 2009.
Who should come to RootsCamp? RootsCamp will be for anyone who played a role in the 2008 elections and/or working in progressive politics. As fellow organizers, we'll be meeting each other, reuniting with team members, discussing the innovations and challenges from this cycle, and most importantly, celebrating!
RootsCamp 2009 will bring together the best and brightest organizers that were engaged in 2008 campaigns, including staff and volunteers from:
Presidential Campaigns
Down ballot races
Labor
Non-partisan GOTV and voter registration operations
Online organizations
Advocacy organizations
Tech support
Blogs and other media
Media, message, polling and targeting consultants
At RootsCamp, you will:
· Share stories and knowledge with each other from all over Pennsylvania, especially the western part of the state.
· Teach others from the progressive movement what you did and how you did it. Brainstorm ways that the methods you practiced can be exported to unions, advocacy organizations and community organizations.
· Strategize about how to help progressive institutions to sustain what you've started.
To find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh or to register, go to: http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com/
RootsCamps are participant driven events or forums, using the "unconference" or "open space" format that is born from the desire for activists, organizers, leaders and politicians in the progressive sphere to share and learn in a productive, fast-paced, open environment.
Think of it as a cross between an election debrief and grassroots organizing skills share. The progressive community — everyone from the "netroots" to precinct captains to field organizers to national message consultants — come together to share successes, failures, impart old wisdom and new discoveries.
RootsCamp is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants. There are NO SPECTATORS. This open format never fails to yield an astounding exchange of information, spin-off projects, and cross-pollination among unexpected partners.
Find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh at http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com/
When is RootsCampPittsburgh? RootsCamp will be held at the United Steelworkers Building, 5 Gateway Center in Pittsburgh on January 24, 2009.
Who should come to RootsCamp? RootsCamp will be for anyone who played a role in the 2008 elections and/or working in progressive politics. As fellow organizers, we'll be meeting each other, reuniting with team members, discussing the innovations and challenges from this cycle, and most importantly, celebrating!
RootsCamp 2009 will bring together the best and brightest organizers that were engaged in 2008 campaigns, including staff and volunteers from:
Presidential Campaigns
Down ballot races
Labor
Non-partisan GOTV and voter registration operations
Online organizations
Advocacy organizations
Tech support
Blogs and other media
Media, message, polling and targeting consultants
At RootsCamp, you will:
· Share stories and knowledge with each other from all over Pennsylvania, especially the western part of the state.
· Teach others from the progressive movement what you did and how you did it. Brainstorm ways that the methods you practiced can be exported to unions, advocacy organizations and community organizations.
· Strategize about how to help progressive institutions to sustain what you've started.
To find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh or to register, go to: http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com/
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Philly to Palin: The Irish Pub is not foreign policy experience
Hundreds show up in Philly on September 26 to tell Palin "No Third Term."
www.keystoneprogress.org
www.keystoneprogress.org
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